Toy construction set

ABSTRACT

A toy construction set includes a toy figure set that includes toy figure building elements configured to repeatably connect and disconnect to each other to form at least a portion of a toy figure, the toy figure building elements including at least two core toy figure building elements, each of the core toy figure building elements including at least a first set of coupling elements separated relative to each other by a distance that is an integer multiple of a center-to-center spacing, where the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements are configured to allow the core toy figure building elements to repeatably connect and disconnect to other building elements, and each of the core toy figure building elements comprises at least one coupling element configured to allow a connected building element to articulate in more than one plane.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/986,161, filed Apr. 30, 2014 and titled TOY CONSTRUCTION SET, whichis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a toy construction set that includes at leastone building element.

BACKGROUND

Persons of all ages enjoy playing and interacting with toys and buildingelements. Toy construction sets are made up of a plurality of buildingelements, which include coupling mechanisms such as studs or recesses ofspecific heights and placement to enable interconnection with otherbuilding elements.

SUMMARY

In one general aspect, a toy construction set includes a buildingelement including coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of anyof the coupling studs being separated from the center of the neareststud by a center-to-center spacing; and a toy figure set including toyfigure building elements configured to repeatably connect and disconnectto each other to form at least a portion of a toy figure, the toy figurebuilding elements including at least two core toy figure buildingelements, each of the core toy figure building elements including atleast a first set of coupling elements separated relative to each otherby a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-centerspacing, where the coupling elements of the first set of couplingelements are configured to allow the core toy figure building elementsto repeatably connect and disconnect to other building elements, andeach of the core toy figure building elements comprises at least onecoupling element configured to allow a connected building element toarticulate in more than one plane.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. Thetoy figure can be configured to be arranged in a human-like form.

The at least one coupling element configured to allow a connectedbuilding element to articulate in more than one plane can be one of thecoupling elements in the first set of coupling elements.

The coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on at leastone of the core toy figure building elements can be identical. Thecoupling elements of the first set of coupling elements on one of thecore toy figure building elements can include identical balls, thecenters of the balls being separated by the center-to-center spacing,and the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements onanother one of the core toy figure building elements can includeidentical recesses, the centers of the recesses being separated by thecenter-to-center spacing. The core toy figure building element thatincludes the identical recesses can also include at least one ball. Thetoy figure set also can include a second building element that includesa line of studs, each stud being separated from the center of theclosest stud by a second center-to-center distance, different from thecenter-to-center distance, where the center of the at least one ball ofthe core toy figure building element that includes the identicalrecesses is spaced from a surface of the core toy figure buildingelement by an integer multiple of half of the second center-to-centerdistance.

The core toy figure building elements can include a torso buildingelement and a pelvis building element, the first set of couplingelements of the torso building element including two recesses, thecenters of the recess being separated by the center-to-center spacing,and the first set of coupling elements of the pelvis building elementcan include two balls, the centers of the balls being separated by thecenter-to-center spacing.

The toy construction set also can include at least two leg buildingelements, each of the leg building elements including a socket thatconnects to one of the balls of the pelvis building element with a snapfit. In some implementations, when one leg building element is connectedto each of the two balls of the pelvis building element, the connectedleg building elements are capable of being positioned to form an angleof at least 90 degrees in at least two different planes. In someimplementations, when one leg building element is connected to each ofthe two balls of the pelvis building element, the connected leg buildingelements are capable of being positioned to form an angle of at least180 degrees in at least two different planes.

The toy construction set also can include a head building element andarm building elements.

In another general aspect, a toy construction set includes a toy figureset including a first toy figure building element and a second toyfigure building element, the first toy figure building element and thesecond toy figure building element configured to repeatably connect anddisconnect to each other to form at a core toy assembly, each of thefirst and second toy figure building elements including at least twocoupling elements configured to connect the toy figure building elementto other building elements; and a connection building element configuredto connect to one or more of the first toy figure building element andthe second toy figure building element, the connection building elementincluding: a first surface in a first plane, the first surface includingcoupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the couplingstuds being separated from the center of the nearest stud by acenter-to-center spacing, a second surface in a second plane differentfrom the first plane, where, when the connection building element isconnected to the first toy figure building element and the second toyfigure building element, the centers of at least some of the couplingstuds on the first surface are aligned with the centers of the couplingelements of the first toy building element and the coupling elements ofthe second toy building elements.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. Thecenters of some of the coupling studs on the first surface of theconnection building element can be aligned with the coupling elements onthe first toy figure building element, and the centers of all of thecoupling studs on the first surface of the connection building elementcan be aligned with the coupling elements on the second toy figurebuilding element.

A coupling stud on the first surface of the connection building elementcan be aligned with a coupling element on the first or second toy figurebuilding element when the center of the coupling stud and the center ofthe coupling element form a line parallel or perpendicular to alongitudinal axis of the toy building element.

In some implementations, when the connection building element isconnected to the first toy figure building element and the second toyfigure building element, the centers of the coupling elements on one ofthe first toy figure building element or the second toy figure buildingelement are spaced from the coupling studs on the connection buildingelement in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of thetoy figure building element by an integer multiple of thecenter-to-center distance.

The connection building element also can include a third surface in athird plane, the third plane being different from the first plane andthe second plane, and the third surface defining an opening. The secondand third planes can be parallel to each other, and the second plane isorthogonal to the first and third planes. The first and third surfacescan extend from the second surface, and the connection building elementis rigid such that the first and third surfaces do not articulaterelative to the second surface. The connection building element also caninclude a fourth surface in a fourth plane, the fourth surface includingcoupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of any of the couplingstuds being separated from the center of the nearest stud by thecenter-to-center spacing, and when the connection building element isconnected to the first and second toy figure building elements, thecenters of some of the coupling studs on the fourth surface can bealigned with the centers of the coupling elements of the first toybuilding element and the coupling elements of the second toy buildingelements.

When the connection building element is connected to the first toyfigure building element and the second toy figure building element, thecenters of the coupling elements on one of the first toy figure buildingelement or the second toy figure building element can be spaced from thecoupling studs on the first and fourth surfaces of the connectionbuilding element in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axisof the toy figure building element by an integer multiple of thecenter-to-center distance.

The first toy figure building element can be a torso building element,and the second toy figure building element can be a pelvis buildingelement.

In another general aspect, a hub building element includes a bodydefining a longitudinal axis and a recess, the recess being configuredto receive and hold two different types of coupling elements, the twodifferent types of coupling elements including a single coupling stud ofanother hub building element that, when connected to the body elementalong the longitudinal axis forms a portion of a toy figure, and twocoupling studs that form part of a grid on a surface of a separatebuilding element, the coupling studs being spaced with acenter-to-center spacing; a coupling stud extending from a surface andalong the longitudinal axis toy figure building element; and a pluralityof coupling elements extending outward from the body, each of thecoupling elements being configured to allow rotation of a connectedbuilding element in more than one plane, and each of the couplingelements being spaced from the surface by a distance that is half of acenter-to-center spacing of the coupling studs arranged in a gridpattern that are received in the recess.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. Thehub building element can include a torso of the toy figure, and theother hub building element can include a pelvis of the toy figure.

The plurality of coupling elements can extend outward from the body inopposite directions.

In another general aspect, a toy construction set includes a toy figureset including interconnectible toy figure building elements, each ofwhich includes a coupling element to enable the toy figure buildingelements to connect to other building elements of the construction set,the toy figure building elements including at least one hub buildingelement, the hub building element including at least three separate anddistinctly located coupling elements, where the hub building element isconfigured to be connected in system with building elements of theconstruction set.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. Thehub building element can include a pelvis including a pair of ballcoupling elements that are sized to frictionally engage with socketcoupling elements of leg building elements of the toy figure buildingelements and to frictionally engage with sockets of building elements ofthe construction set, and a stud on a surface of the pelvis, the studhaving a standard stud size. At least one of the building elements caninclude studs arranged on a surface in a grid pattern. At least one hubbuilding element can include a torso building element. The at least onehub building element can include a pelvis building element includingball elements that are spaced apart by an integer multiple of acenter-to-center spacing of the studs.

In some implementations, legs that attach to the ball elements of thepelvis are included in the toy construction set, each leg including asocket that receives and holds a ball of one of the legs, and a recessthat receives and holds a stud of the building element, and where, wheneach of the legs are connected to one of the balls of the pelvis and toone of the studs of the building element, the legs extends between thepelvis and the building element in a direction that is perpendicular tothe surface on which the studs are arranged.

The at least one hub building element can include a torso buildingelement, the torso building element including at least two recessesformed in a bottom side, at least two of the recesses having a spacingthat is an integer multiple of a center-to-center spacing of the studs.

Each of the at least two recesses can have a diameter that is sized toreceive and hold one of the studs in frictional engagement. The torsobuilding element can include three recesses formed in the bottom side.The at least one hub building element can include a torso buildingelement, the torso building element including a ball extending outwardfrom a surface, the ball being positioned at a distance that is aninteger multiple of the center-to-center spacing of the studs.

Some of the studs can include cavities configured to receive and holdthe ball of the torso in frictional engagement.

The construction set includes a plate including a corner and a pluralityof studs arranged in a pattern, and the at least one hub buildingelement connects to the plate with two sides of the hub being flush withthe corner. When assembled, the building elements of the toy figure setcan form a human-like figure. The at least one hub building element caninclude a torso building element and a pelvis building element.

In another general aspect, a toy construction set includes a toy figureset including interconnectible toy figure building elements, each ofwhich includes a coupling element to enable the toy figure buildingelements to connect to other building elements of the construction set,the toy figure building elements including at least one hub buildingelement, the hub building element including at least three separate anddistinctly located coupling elements, where the hub building elementincludes two or more identically-shaped coupling elements that alignwith coupling elements of the grid associated with the other buildingelements of the construction set, where the identically-shaped couplingelements are configured to interconnect with coupling elements of otherbuilding elements.

Implementations can include one or more of the following features. Theat least three separate and distinctly located coupling elements canhave centers that are in different planes. The at least three separateand distinctly located coupling elements can each have centers, at leasttwo of which are the same plane. At least two of the at least threeseparate and distinctly located coupling elements can be at differentsides of the hub building element. The at least one hub building elementcan include one or more of a torso building element and a pelvisbuilding element. The identically shaped coupling elements can includeballs. The identically shaped coupling elements can include recesses.

Implementations of any of the techniques described above can include atoy construction set, a joint that removably connects a torso and apelvis of a toy figure, a process, or a device. The details of one ormore implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and thedescription below. Other features will be apparent from the descriptionand drawings, and from the claims.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary toy construction set and a perspective view ofan exemplary toy figure set that is included in the toy constructionset.

FIGS. 2A-2D is a block diagram of an exemplary toy construction set.

FIG. 2E is a perspective view of an exemplary building element that canbe included in the toy construction set of FIGS. 2A-2D.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exemplary core toy figure buildingelement.

FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of another exemplary core toy figurebuilding element.

FIG. 4B is a side perspective view of the building element of FIG. 3C.

FIG. 5A is a perspective view of another exemplary core toy figurebuilding element.

FIG. 5B is a bottom view of the building element of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 6A is a bottom view of an exemplary core toy figure buildingelement with another building element.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the core toy figure building element ofFIG. 5A connected to the other building element.

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of an exemplary build made from buildingelements, including a core toy figure building element.

FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional side view of the build of FIG. 6C.

FIG. 7A is a perspective view of an exemplary build made from buildingelements.

FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional side view of the build of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an exemplary connection buildingelement.

FIG. 8B is a bottom view of the connection building element of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 8C is a top view of the connection building element of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9A is an exploded perspective view of an exemplary foundationalbuilding assembly that includes the connection building element of FIG.8A.

FIG. 9B is a partially exploded view of the foundational buildingassembly of FIG. 9A.

FIG. 9C is a perspective view of the foundational building assembly ofFIG. 9A.

FIGS. 10A-10C are front, back, and side views, respectively, of anexemplary assembly that includes the foundational building assembly ofFIG. 9A.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are perspective views of another exemplaryfoundational building assembly that includes the connection buildingelement of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 11C is a partially exploded perspective view of the foundationalbuilding assembly of FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIG. 11D is an exploded perspective view of the foundational buildingassembly of FIGS. 11A and 11B.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are perspective views of another exemplary connectionbuilding element.

FIGS. 12C and 12D are front and perspective views, respectively, of afoundational building assembly that includes the connection buildingelement of FIGS. 12A and 12B.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are perspective views of an exemplary assembled toyfigure.

DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary toy construction set 100 arranged as a toyfigure in a human-like form. The toy construction set 100 includes a toyfigure set 103 and a set of building elements 130. The toy figure set103 includes a head 105, a pelvis 107, a torso 109, arms 111, hands 112,and legs 113, all of which are building elements. The building elementsof the toy figure set 103 and the set of building elements 130 can beconnected to and disconnected from each other repeatedly and withoutharming the building elements.

As discussed below, the building elements of the toy figure set 103 canbe connected to the building elements of the set 130 “in system.” Theability to connect the building elements of the toy figure set 103 “insystem” with the building elements of the set 130 enhances play valueand increases the versatility of the toy construction set 100. Abuilding element is “in system” with other building elements, or isconfigured to be connected “in system” with other building elements, ifthe building element is, or can be, built into a grid or an assemblythat is formed with the other building elements. For example, making theheight, thickness, and/or width of the building elements the same asthat of the other building elements can allow an “in system” connection.Some of the building elements can have a plurality of coupling elements.Spacing the coupling elements on such building elements to correspondwith the spacing of the coupling elements on other building elementsalso can allow the building elements to be connected “in system.” Thecoupling elements on a building element that is configured to allow an“in system” connection can correspond with the spacing of the couplingelements on other building elements, by, for example, being an integermultiple of a center-to-center spacing between the coupling elements onthe other building elements or an integer multiple of half of thecenter-to-center spacing between the coupling elements on the otherbuilding elements.

FIGS. 2A-2E are block diagrams of building elements that are included inan exemplary toy construction set 200. The toy construction set 200includes a toy figure set 203 (FIG. 2A) and a set of building elements230 (FIGS. 2B-2E). The toy figure set 203 includes a plurality ofbuilding elements: a head 205, a torso 209, a pelvis 207, arms 211,hands 212, and legs 213. The head 205, torso 209, pelvis 207, arms 211,hands 212, and legs 213, which are collectively referred to as toyfigure building elements, can be connected to form a toy figure that hasa human-like form (such as shown in FIG. 1). Additionally, the toyfigure building elements can include core toy figure building elementsthat form a core assembly that can be connected to other buildingelements of the toy construction set 200 to build other toy assembliesbesides a human-like toy figure. For example, the pelvis 207 and thetorso 209 are core toy figure building elements that can be connected toform a core assembly.

The set 230 also includes additional building elements, such as bricks232 and a plate 234. The building bricks 232 and the plate 234 haveextents 232 a and 234 a, respectively, in the z direction. The extent232 a is an integer multiple of the extent 234 a. For example, theextent 232 a can be three times greater than the extent 234 a. Theextent 232 a can be, for example, 3.2 millimeters (mm), and the extent234 a can be, for example, 9.6 mm.

Like the toy figure building elements, the building elements aredesigned to be repeatedly connected and disconnected from each other sothat the toy construction set 200 can be used to build forms andstructures of the user's choosing. Despite having a variety of designs,the height, width, and/or placement of the coupling elements on thebuilding elements of the toy construction set 200 allows the buildingelements to be connected to each other “in system.” Additionally, someor all of the toy figure building elements can be used interchangeablywith other building elements to build assemblies other than a human-liketoy figure. In other words, the toy figure building elements have a dualpurpose and can be used to construct a human-like figure but can also beused as building elements in other assemblies that can take forms otherthan a human-like forms. Additionally, the core toy figure buildingelements can be connected to each other to form a core assembly orcentral portion of a more complex toy assembly made from buildingelements, such as a toy assembly that is capable of transformation fromone form into another distinct form. The “in system” quality of the toyfigure building elements enables these more complex and variedarrangements. Additionally, the “in system” nature allows particularbuilding elements to be repurposed, and, thus, leads to enhancedbuilding opportunities even with relatively few building elements. Thus,the toy construction set 200, which includes core toy figure buildingelements with the “in system” capability, allows enhanced play value byproviding for the possibility of constructing a wider variety of figuresand structures.

The building elements in the toy figure set 203 and the set of buildingelements 230 include a variety of types of coupling elements. Thecoupling elements include balls 215, 216 sockets 214, 217, which receivethe balls 215, 216, respectively, with a snap fit connection, c-clips212, which receive and hold posts (not shown) with a snap fitconnection, and studs 219 and recesses 220, which that receive and holdthe studs 219 with an interference fit. In some implementations, theballs 215, 216 are identical, and the sockets 214, 217 are alsoidentical. In these implementations, the balls 215 and 216 can bereceived and held in either a socket 214 or a socket 217. In otherimplementations, the balls 215, 216 are different sizes, and therespective sockets 214 and 217 are also sized differently to receive andhold the respective ball 215 or 216.

The studs 219 have a diameter 218 (FIG. 2C), and cavities 221 are formedin at least some of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). The cavities 221 have adiameter 222 that is slightly larger than a diameter of the diameter ofthe ball 216 (which have a surface that forms at least part of asphere), allowing the cavity 221 to receive and releasably hold one ofthe balls 216.

Thus, a building element that includes a stud 219 that has a cavity 221can connect to a building element that has a recess 220 and to abuilding element that has a ball 216. Individual building elements ofthe construction set 200 can include one or more of the different typesof coupling elements.

Referring also to FIGS. 2B and 2C, the plate 234 has a surface 235 fromwhich studs 219 protrude. The studs 219 are arranged on the surface 235in a grid pattern 238 (FIGS. 2C and 2E). The grid pattern 238 is a gridof squares having sides of a length that is equal to the spacing 240 anda center 219 a of a stud 219 at each vertex. In other words, the studs219 are equally spaced from each other along the surface 235 in the “x”and “y” directions, and the center-to-center spacing of any two of thestuds 219 in the “x” or “y” direction is the distance 240. The distance240 can be, for example, 8 millimeters (mm).

The underside (not shown) of the plate 234 also includes instances ofthe recesses 220 arranged in the grid pattern 238. The building bricks232 also include the studs 219 arranged in the grid pattern 238 on asurface 231. Having the same grid pattern 238 on the building bricks 232and the plate 234 allows the plate 234 and the building bricks 232 toconnect to each other by inserting studs 219 into corresponding recesses220.

The set of building elements 230 also can include building bricks thathave a grid pattern that is different from the grid pattern 238.Referring to FIG. 2D, an exemplary building brick 241 is shown. Thebuilding brick 241 has studs 242 that extend outward from perpendicularsurfaces 241 a and 241 b. The perpendicular surfaces 241 a and 242 bmeet at an edge 258 that forms a straight line, and the centers of thestuds 242 fall on lines that are parallel to a line that coincides withthe edge 258. The studs 242 have a diameter 242 a that can be the sameor different than the diameter 218 of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). Thecavities 243 have a diameter 243 a that can be the same or differentthan the diameter 222 of the cavities 221 (FIG. 2C).

The studs on the surfaces 241 a and 241 b that are nearest to the edge258 are spaced at a distance 244 from the edge 258. The center-to-centerspacing of the studs 242 is twice the distance 244.

The building brick 241 can be repeatedly connected to and disconnectedfrom other building elements by inserting one or more of the studs 242into a recess that holds the stud with a frictional engagement. In thisexample, each of the studs 242 defines a cavity 243 that can receive acorresponding coupling element to allow the brick 241 to repeatedlyconnect to and disconnect from other building elements through aconnection other than a stud-recess connection. In other examples, noneor fewer than all of the studs 242 can include the cavity 243.

In this example, the building brick 241 is formed by joining twoseparate building bricks, a stud brick 245 and a plate 246. The plate246 has an extent 246 a in the z direction, and the extent 246 a can bethe same as the extent 234 a in the z direction of the plate 234. Theplate 246 also has an extent 246 b in the y direction. The plate 246includes studs that connect to recesses on the underside of the studbrick 245 to form the building brick 241. The building brick 241 has anextent 247 in the z direction.

Some of the building elements of the toy construction set 200 include atleast three separate and distinctly located coupling elements. Thesebuilding elements can be referred to as hubs or hub building elements,and the hub building elements can be core toy figure building elements.The coupling elements of the hub building elements are positioned toallow the hubs to connect “in system” with at least some of the otherbuilding elements in the toy construction set 200, including other hubbuilding elements. The coupling elements of a particular hub buildingelement can be distinctly located but part of the same building elementby, for example, being in different locations on the building element.The coupling elements can be in the same plane or in different planes.The at least three coupling elements of a hub building element can allbe the same type of coupling elements or the at least three couplingelements can include a variety of different types of coupling elements,with some or all of the coupling elements being different from eachother.

The pelvis 207 (FIG. 2A) is an example of a hub building element that isalso a core toy figure building element. Exemplary implementations ofthe pelvis 207 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4A. FIG. 3 shows a perspectiveview of a pelvis 307, which includes three coupling elements: two balls315 and a stud 323. The pelvis 307 has mirror symmetry about the “x” and“z” directions. The stud 323 includes an outer wall 325 and a cavity 327formed in the outer wall 325. The outer wall 325 has a circularcross-section in the x-y plane and a diameter 318. The diameter 318 isthe same as the diameter of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). The cavity 327 hasthe diameter 322. The diameter 322 is the same as the diameter of thecavity 221 formed in some of the studs 219 (FIG. 2C). In the exemplarypelvis 307, the cavity 327 has an inner surface 324 that is faceted,resulting in a hexagonal cross-section in the x-y plane. However, inother examples, the inner surface 324 can be smooth, resulting in thecavity 327 having a smooth inner wall and a circular cross-section inthe x-y plane. In some examples, the stud 323 does not include thecavity 327.

The stud 323 extends a distance 323 a from a surface 328 along thelongitudinal axis 326, which is perpendicular to the directions in whichthe balls 315 extend. In the example of FIG. 3, the surface 328 is asurface of a flange that has an extent 328 a in the y direction and anextent 328 b in the x direction. The extents 328 a and 328 b are suchthat the extent of the surface 328 in the x-y plane is greater thangreatest extent of the balls 315 in the x-y plane.

Referring also to FIGS. 2A-C and 2E, the centers of the balls 315 of thepelvis 307 are spaced apart along the x direction by a distance 329,which is an integer multiple of the distance 240 (FIGS. 2C and 2E). Asdiscussed below with respect to the legs 213 of the construction set 200(FIG. 2A), this relative spacing between the balls 315 allows items thatconnect to the balls 315 of the pelvis 307 to be connected “in system”with the plate 234, the building bricks 232, and any other buildingelements having the studs 219 arranged with the grid pattern 238.Additionally, in some implementations, the centers of the balls 315 arespaced from the surface 328 by a distance that is an integer multiple ofthe thickness of a plate in the z direction (the extent 234 a of FIG.2C) and the thickness (height) of a stud. For example, the centers ofthe balls 315 can be spaced in the z direction at a distance of 5 mmfrom the surface 328.

Referring again to FIG. 2A, each of the legs 213 includes a recess 220at one at end and a socket 217 at an opposite end. As discussed above,the recesses 220 are sized to connect to a stud 219 with an interferencefit. Further, each of the sockets 217 on the legs 213 forms a snap fitwith one of the balls 215 on the pelvis 207. When the legs 213 areconnected to the balls 215 of the pelvis 207, the recess 220 of each ofthe legs 236 can also connect to one of the studs 219. Because thecenters of the balls 215 are spaced by a distance 229, which is aninteger multiple of the center-to-center spacing of the studs 219 in thegrid 238, when the legs 213 are connected to the pelvis 207 and theplate 234, the legs 213 extend vertically in the “z” direction betweenthe plate 234 and the pelvis 207. This design allows these components tobe connected “in system” and can improve the stability and appearance ofan assembly made with the pelvis 207, plate 234, and legs 213. Thecenters of the recesses 220 are also spaced by an integer multiple ofthe distance of the center-to-center spacing of the studs 219.

The pelvis 307 is similarly configured for “in system” connections.Referring also to FIG. 3, due to the separation of the balls 315 by thespacing 329, building elements attached to the balls 315 of the pelvis307 are also able to connect to the plate 234 (FIG. 2C) such that thebuilding elements connected to the balls 315 are also “in system” withthe plate 324 and other elements with coupling studs having acenter-to-center spacing that is an integer multiple of thecenter-to-center spacing 240.

FIG. 4A shows a front perspective view of another exemplary pelvis 407,and FIG. 4B shows a side plan view of the pelvis 407. The pelvis 407includes two balls 415, the centers of which are spaced from each otherat a distance 429, a surface 428, and a stud 423 that extends a distance423 a in the z direction from the surface 428. The distance 429 can bethe same as the distance 329 or 229, or an integer multiple of thedistance 240. Thus, the pelvis 407 is also capable of “in system”connection.

The pelvis 407 can be used in place of the pelvis 207 and is similar tothe pelvis 307, except that the surface 428 of the pelvis 407 has anextent in the x-y plane that is less than the extent of balls 415 in thex-y plane. Additionally, the balls 415 of the pelvis 407 can be largeror smaller than the balls 315 of the pelvis 307. For example, the balls315 can have a diameter of 4.88 mm, and the balls 415 can have adiameter of 4.88 mm. The distance 423 a (the height of the stud 423) canbe the same as the distance 323 a (the height of the stud 323 on thepelvis 307) or different.

The torso 209 (FIG. 2A) is another example of a core toy figure buildingelement. Referring to FIG. 5A, a perspective view of an exemplary torso509 is shown. FIG. 5B shows a bottom plan view of the torso 509 from abottom side 550 of the torso 509. The torso 509 includes six couplingelements: two balls 516, a stud 523, two recesses 520, and a recess 548.The recesses 520 and the recess 548 are within an opening 551 that is atthe bottom side 550 of a body 552 of the torso 509. The centers of therecesses 520 are spaced apart along the x direction by a distance 529that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center distance 240 betweenthe studs 219 of the grid 238 (FIG. 2C). As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B,the spacing of the recesses 520 allows the torso 509 to connect to theplate 234 (FIG. 2C) “in system.”

The stud 523 extends from a surface 553 along a longitudinal axis 554 ofthe torso 509. The longitudinal axis 554 is parallel to the z direction.In the example shown, the surface 553 slopes away from the stud 523 anda line 555 is tangent to the surface 553 where the stud 523 meets thesurface 553. The stud 523 extends from the surface 553 a distance 523 a(measured from the tangent line 555) along the longitudinal axis 554.The distance 523 a on the stud 523 can be the same as the distance 523 aon the stud 323 of the pelvis 307 (FIG. 3).

The torso 509 also includes the balls 516, the centers of which arepositioned a distance 556 from the tangent line 555 along the zdirection. The distance 556 is an integer multiple of the distance 244between the centers of a stud 242 and the edge 258 of the building brick241 (FIG. 2D). In this manner, the torso 509 includes coupling elementsthat are positioned relative to the spacing of three different studarrangements. These coupling elements are: the recesses 520, whichaccept two studs on the plate 234 (FIG. 2C), the recess 548, whichaccepts a single stud of, for example, a core toy figure buildingelement, and the balls 516, which are positioned in the z directionrelative to the tangent 553 a at a spacing that is relative to thespacing of the studs on the building brick 241 (FIG. 2D). This resultsin further flexibility for using the torso 209, 509 as a buildingelement.

The extent of the torso 509 along the longitudinal axis 554 (from thetangent line 555 to the bottom 550) is a distance 557. The distance 557is an integer multiple of the thickness of the plate 234 (FIG. 2C). Asdiscussed with respect to FIGS. 6C and 6D, the distances 557 and 556allow the torso 509 to be connected “in system” with building brickssuch as the brick 232, 234, and 241 to form a wall-like assembly.

FIGS. 6A and 6B show an example of the torso 509 being connected to theplate 234 “in system.” In the example shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, thedistance 529 between the centers of the recesses 520 on the torso 509 isthe same as the spacing 240 (FIG. 2C), thus allowing the torso 509 toconnect to the plate 234 in the same manner as a standard 2×1 buildingbrick. Thus, each of the recesses 520 couples to one stud 219 on theplate 234 such that the opening 551 couples to two studs 519 on theplate 234. Due to this arrangement of the recesses 520, the sides of thebody 552 of the torso 509 can align with an edge of the plate 234 asshown in FIG. 6B.

Additionally, the torso 509 can connect to the pelvis 307 (or the pelvis407) by receiving and holding the stud 323 (or the stud 423) in therecess 548. Thus, the opening 551 is a recess that is configured toreceive two different configurations of studs, allowing the torso 509 toconnect to a variety of other building elements (including other toyfigure building elements and other core toy figure building elements) ina variety of ways. In this example, the opening 551 is configured toallow the torso 509 to connect to the pelvis 307 or 407 via a singlestud 323 or 423, respectively, or to two studs on the plate 234 via therecesses 520.

Referring to FIGS. 6C and 6D, an example of the torso 509 connected “insystem” with several building elements is shown. FIG. 6C, is aperspective view of the torso 509 placed “in system” in a build 600formed with the torso 509 and other building elements in the set ofbuilding elements 230 (FIGS. 2A-2E). FIG. 6D shows a sidecross-sectional view of the build 600.

In the example of FIGS. 6C and 6D, the other building elements include aplate 602, a brick 604, two plates 606, and two building bricks 608. Allof these other building elements except for the two building bricks 608include studs 219. The building bricks 608 are similar to the studbuilding brick 245 (FIG. 2D) and include studs that are arranged withcenter-to-brick edge and center-to-center spacing similar to the studs242. The plate 602 and the brick 604 have six studs 219 arranged in asingle row, the plates 606 have two studs 219 arranged in a single row,and the building bricks 608 have studs 242 on a plurality of surfacesthat are each in different planes. The studs 242 on the building bricks608 include the cavity 243.

The heights of the building elements 602, 604, 606, and 608 in the zdirection are integer multiples of the extent of the plate 602 in the zdirection. This allows a configuration in which a stud 219 on aparticular building element in a stack of connected building elementslines up with a stud on another stack of connected building element inthe “z” direction even if a different number of building elements isused to build the two stacks.

The torso 509 is connected “in system” with the building elements 602,604, 606, and 608 by connecting the recesses 220 of the torso 509 to thestuds 219 on the plate 606 and by connecting the stud 523 of the torso509 to a recess of the brick 604. As discussed above, the balls 516 ofthe torso 509 are positioned relative to the tangent 553 a of the torso509 at a distance 556 that is an integer multiple of the distance 244(FIG. 2D). Thus, when the building bricks 608 are connected to theplates 606 and the brick 604, and the torso 509 is connected to theplate 602 as shown in FIGS. 6C and 6D, the balls 516 line up with thecenters of the cavities 243 of the studs 242, which are on the bricks608. Further, the stud 523 of the torso 509 is received in a recess ofthe brick 604 such that the portion of the surface 553 of the torso isflush and smooth against the brick 604. This arrangement of the ball 516relative to the tangent line 555 of the torso 509 allows the torso 509to be connected “in system” with the other building elements 602, 604,606, and 608 and used as a building element that builds a wall (thebuild 600) with other building elements.

Thus, the building elements of the toy construction set 200 (FIGS. 2Aand 2B) can be used to make a build, such as the build 600, and/or afigure, such as the toy figure assembled from the toy figure set 103(FIG. 1). The ability to use the building elements that are used toconstruct a human-like toy figure interchangeably with other buildingelements of the toy construction set 200 enhances play value and theflexibility of the construction set 200.

Referring also to FIGS. 7A and 7B, perspective and cross-sectional viewsof an exemplary build 700 are shown. In the build 700, the torso 509 isconnected to the brick 608 by inserting one of the balls 516 into thecavity 243 of the stud 242. The ball 516 is held in frictionalengagement in the cavity 243.

The flexibility increases the build configurations that are possiblefrom a single toy construction set. For example, in the build 600 (FIGS.6A and 6B) the ball 516 of the torso 509 can be connected to thebuilding brick 608 by inserting the ball 516 directly into the cavity243 while the torso 509 is connected to the plate 606.

Referring to FIGS. 8A-8C, an exemplary connection building element 860is shown. FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the connection buildingelement 860, FIG. 8B is a bottom view of the connection building element860, and FIG. 8C is a top view of the connection building element 860.

The connection building element 860 is removably coupled to one or morecore toy figure building elements that have “in system” couplingelements (such as the torso 509, the pelvis 307, and/or the pelvis 407)to form a foundational building assembly that is also “in system” andcan be used as a foundation of a larger and/or more complex structurethat is built from building elements. Because the configuration of theconnection building element 860 allows the connection elements of thecore toy figure building elements to be connected to other buildingelements while the connection building element 860 is connected to thecore toy building elements, the foundational building assembly can be apart of an assembly made with additional building elements of the user'schoosing.

The connection building element 860 includes first, second, and thirdsides 861 a, 861 b, 861 c. The surfaces of the sides 861 a and 861 c arein planes that are parallel to each other, and the sides 861 a and 861 cextend from the side 861 b. The side 861 b has a thickness 862 b, andthe side 861 c has a thickness 862 c. Studs 862 extend from the surfaceof the side 861 b in a direction opposite the direction in which thesides 861 a and 861 b extend from the side 861 b. The studs 862 arearranged in a grid in the x-z plane with the center-to-center distance240 (FIG. 2C). The center-to-center spacing of the studs 862, thethicknesses 862 b and/or 862 c, the location of the studs 862 relativeto the other portions of the connection building element 860, and/or theextent of the side 861 b in the z direction are such that the studs 862are “in system” with the coupling elements on the core toy buildingelements to which the connection building element 860 connects.

The connection building element 860 also includes coupling elements 864and 865 that enable the connection building element 860 to repeatedlyconnect to and disconnect from the core toy figure building elements.The coupling elements 864 and 865 are openings through which a couplingelement of a core building element can pass. The coupling element 864 isdefined by the side 861 a, which, in this example includes two arms 866a, 866 b that extend from the side 861 b and form the coupling element864. The coupling element 864 can hold the coupling element of a coretoy figure building element with a frictional engagement. The couplingelement 864 can receive a coupling element of another building elementin the z direction and in the y direction. Thus, another buildingelement can connect to the connection building element 860 by connectingto the coupling element 864 in a direction opposite to the z direction,in the z direction, or in the y direction. The arms 866 a, 866 b deformwhen a stud is inserted into them along the y direction and the arms 866a, 866 b snap back in place after the stud is in the opening formed bythe arms 866 a, 866 b.

The coupling element 865 is defined by the surface 861 c. In thisexample, the coupling element 865 includes facets 865 b that hold asmooth-walled coupling element of a core toy figure building element(such as the stud 223 of the pelvis 307) in frictional engagement. Thefacets 865 b are part of an inner wall that surrounds the opening thatforms the coupling element 865. The inner wall can have portions thatare curved and portions that are faceted with a facet 865 b. The curvedand faceted portions can alternate, and there can be any number offacets 865 b. For example, the inner wall can include four facets 865 bto form an eight-sided inner wall (with four curved portions and fourfaceted portions). Other numbers of facets can be used. When a stud isinserted into the coupling element 865, the facets 865 b make contactwith an outer surface of the stud to create a frictional engagement.Thus, the facets 865 b can be the portions of the coupling element 865that hold the stud.

The opening that forms the coupling element 865 is surrounded in the x-yplane by the inner wall, thus, the coupling element 865 can receive acoupling element of another building element in the z direction or in adirection opposite to the z direction. In other implementations, thecoupling element 865 can be open in more than one direction (similar tothe coupling element 864).

Referring also to FIGS. 9A-9C, the connection building element 860 canbe connected to the torso 509 and the pelvis 407 “in system” to form afoundational building element 970 (FIG. 9C). FIG. 9A shows an explodedperspective view of the connection building element 860, the torso 509,and the pelvis 407. FIG. 9B shows a perspective side view of theconnection building element 860 connected to the torso 509. Theconnection building element 860 slides onto the body 552 of the torso509 in the y direction such that the side 861 b of the connectionbuilding element 860 is parallel to a plane that includes the centers ofthe balls 516. Attaching the connection building element 860 to thetorso 509 in this manner results in the coupling element 865 (FIGS.8A-8C) aligning with the recess 548 (FIG. 5B) of the torso 509 along thez direction and the coupling element 864 receiving the stud 523 of thetorso 509 in the y direction. The alignment of the coupling element 865of the connection building element 860 and the recess 548 of the torso509 provides a space into which the stud 423 of the pelvis 407 can beinserted to connect the pelvis 407 to the torso 509 and the connectionbuilding element 860.

The connection building element 860 is rigid in that none of the sides861 a, 861 b, 861 c articulate relative to each other aside from nominaldeflection that typically occurs in molded plastic parts. Thus, theconnection building element 860 is pressed onto the torso 509 andconnects to the stud 523 and is held in place until a force is appliedto remove the connection building element 860.

After the connection building element 860 and the torso 509 areconnected, the stud 423 of the pelvis 407 is connected, in the zdirection, to the recess 548 (FIG. 5B) of the torso 509 and the couplingelement 865 of the connection building element to form the foundationalbuilding assembly 970, a perspective view of which is shown in FIG. 9C.The building element components of the foundational building assembly970 (the torso 509, the pelvis 407, and the connection building element860) are “in system” with each other once connected and can be used toconstruct a variety of different toy assemblies.

FIGS. 10A-10C are front, rear, and side views of the foundationalbuilding assembly 970, respectively. FIGS. 10A-10C show the “in system”nature of the foundational building assembly 970. In particular, in thez direction, the center of the ball 516 on the torso 509 and the centerof the ball 415 on the pelvis 407 are spaced by an integer multiple (2in this example) of the center-to-center spacing 240 of the studs 862.Additionally, as shown in FIG. 10C, the centers of two of the studs 862coincide with the centers of the balls 415 in the y direction. Further,the longitudinal center line of the stud 523 of the torso 509 ispositioned between two of the studs 862.

In addition to illustrating the “in system” nature of the foundationalbuilding assembly 970, FIGS. 10A-10C also show that the assembledfoundational building assembly 970 is able to connect to additionalbuilding elements. In the example shown, an appendage toy figurebuilding element 1013 includes a socket 1017 that connects to the ball415 of the pelvis 407 with a snap fit connection. Due to the shape ofthe pelvis 407 and the type of connection between the appendage toyfigure building element 1013 and the pelvis 407, when connected to theballs 415 of the pelvis 407, the building element 1013 is able toarticulate in more than one plane. When an identical building element1013 is connected to the other ball 415 of the pelvis 407, the twobuilding elements 1013 are able to form an angle that is greater than 90degrees and an angle that is greater than 180 degrees in more than oneplane. In other words, when each of the two balls 415 of the pelvis 407are connected to an appendage toy figure building element 1013, the toyfigure building elements 1013 can be positioned relative to the pelvis407 and each other in a manner that resembles legs of a human-like toyfigure that are in center “splits” or front “splits.”

Referring also to FIGS. 13A and 13B, the appendage toy figure buildingelements 1013 are arranged relative to the pelvis 407 in the center“splits” (FIG. 13A) and the side “splits” (FIG. 13B). The buildingelements 1013 are able to rotate relative to the balls 415 to form anangle that is greater than 180 degrees in two different planes. In FIG.13A, with the building elements 1013 arranged in the center “splits,”the angle is in the x-z plane. In FIG. 13B, with the building elements1013 arranged in the side “splits,” the angle is in the y-z plane.

Similarly, appendage toy figure building elements can be connected tothe balls 516 of the torso 509 and, when connected, these buildingelements can be rotated relative to the torso 509 in more than oneplane.

Thus, the connection building element 860 acts, together with the torso509 and the pelvis 407, to provide an “in system” assembly that can alsoconnect to other building elements.

The connection building element 860 can be connected to other core toyfigure building elements. FIGS. 11A-11D show the connection buildingelement 860 with the torso 509 and the pelvis 307 (FIG. 3). The pelvis307 is similar to the pelvis 407 except the pelvis 307 includes thesurface 328 that has the same extent in the x and y directions as thebody 552 of the torso 509 has at the bottom end 550.

FIGS. 12A and 12B show perspective views of another exemplary connectionbuilding element 1260. The connection building element 1260 connects tothe torso 509 and the pelvis 407 to form a foundational toy buildingassembly 1270. A front view of the foundational building assembly 1270is shown in FIG. 12C, and a perspective view of the foundationalbuilding assembly 1270 is shown in FIG. 12D.

Referring to FIGS. 12A and 12B, the connection building element 1260includes four sides 1261 a, 1261 b, 1261 c, and 1261 d. The sides 1261 aand 1261 c are parallel to each other and the sides 1261 b and 1261 dare parallel to each other. The edges of the sides 1261 a, 1261 b, 1261c, 1261 d form a rectangular perimeter 1266, which defines an openregion 1267 b in the y-z plane. On an opposite side of the connectionbuilding element, the sides 1261 a, 1261 b, 1261 c, 1261 d form anotheropen region 1267 a. The open regions 1267 a, 1267 b allow the connectionbuilding element 1260 to connect to the torso 509 while still exposingthe balls 215 for connection to other building elements. The sides 1261b and 1261 d include studs 1262 that are arranged in a grid pattern withthe center-to-center spacing 240. The side 1261 a and the side 1261 cdefine coupling elements 1264 and 1265, respectively. Thus, theconnection building element 1260 has coupling elements on sides 1261 band 1261 d.

Referring also to FIGS. 12C and 12D, to connect the connection buildingelement 1260 to the torso 509, the bottom side 550 of the torso 509 isslid into the connection building element 1260 through the open region1267 a in the x direction and the stud 523 of the torso 509 is receivedin the coupling element 1264. When connected in this manner, thecoupling element 1265 and the recess 548 (FIG. 5B) of the torso 509align, and the stud 223 of the pelvis 307 is inserted through thecoupling element 1265 and held by the facets 1265 a and the walls thatdefine the recess 548 (FIG. 5B). Similar to the coupling element 865(FIGS. 8A-8C), the coupling element 1265 can include alternating curvedand faceted portions.

Thus, when assembled into the foundational building assembly 1270, theconnecting building element 1260 provides studs 1262 on more than oneside of the torso 509 and also allows the coupling elements of the torso509 and the pelvis 407 to connect to other building elements.Additionally, the foundational building assembly 1270 made from thetorso 509, the pelvis 507, and the connection building element 1260 is“in system,” with the centers of the studs 1262 being aligned with thecenters of the balls 415 and 516 in the x and y directions, and thecenters of the balls 415 and the balls 516 being separated in the xdirection by a distance that is an integer multiple of thecenter-to-center spacing 240.

Other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

For example, any of the building elements discussed above can includeone or more coupling elements. Coupling elements of standard buildingelements can include male coupling elements, for example, in the form ofa coupling stud, and female coupling elements, for example, in the formof a coupling recess that is sized to receive the coupling stud. Thestuds 219 can be standard building elements. The male and femalecoupling elements can have a first coupling size. For example, the firstcoupling size of a standard coupling stud (that is on a surface of abuilding element, such as a plate or brick) is defined by an outsidediameter of 4.88 mm and a height of 1.80 mm, and the coupling recessesare sized to have an interference fit with the coupling studs of thesame size. The studs 219 can be standard coupling studs. The diameter218 of the stud 223 can be the same as the outside diameter of astandard coupling stud. There can be different types and configurationsof female recesses that mate with the first coupling size. For example,in some configurations, the recesses may be circular, partially circularwith flats on multiple sides, square, or pronged to name a few. Therecesses may have varying depths; however, a minimum depth may beprovided to ensure proper coupling with the male stud via aninterference fit. Additional configurations for recesses that providedifferent alignment possibilities between building elements aredescribed below in greater detail.

Coupling elements, for example, a male stud of a standard buildingelement of the toy construction system, can be arranged in a uniformtwo-dimensional array structure (that is in an x-z plane) on the surfaceof a building element which allow for easy coupling (and de-coupling)with the similarly arranged female recesses of another building element.Typically, the building elements are referred to by the array formed onthe surface of the building element. Thus, a 3×4 building element has 12male coupling elements, for example, studs, arranged in four columns bythree rows. The distances between centers of the coupling elements takenalong a direction that is parallel with either the x or the z axis inthe x-z plane are a standard unit, which is an integer multiple of abase unit, BU. The distance 240 is an example of a BU. For example, a1×3 standard building element (brick or plate) has three studs A, B, andC whose centers are arranged along a center axis of the element (forexample, a z axis) where the center of stud A is 1BU from the center ofstud B and 2BUs from the center of stud C. In the implementationsdescribed, the base unit or BU of such a toy construction system is 8mm. The distances are within a standard tolerance.

In the example shown, the assembled toy figure set 103 resembles ahuman-like figure. However, the building elements of the toy figure set103 can be arranged in other ways and can include other buildingelements. Furthermore, in other examples, the toy figure assembled fromthe building elements can have another form, such as a vehicle or robot.

The building elements 602, 604, 606, and 608 can have differentconfigurations. For example, these building elements can have differentnumbers of studs than shown in the example of FIGS. 6A and 6B.

The balls 516 on the torso 509 can be the same size and shape as theballs 315 on the pelvis 307 (FIG. 3) and the balls 415 on the pelvis 407(FIG. 4A). However, in other examples the balls 516 on the torso 509 canbe a different size than the balls on the pelvis.

In the example shown in FIG. 5A, the centers of the balls 516 on thetorso 509 are not spaced from each other along the x direction at adistance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing240. However, in other examples, the centers of the balls 516 on thetorso 509 can be spaced from each other in the x direction at a distancethat is an integer multiple of the center-to-center spacing 240.

The connecting coupling element 860 can include coupling elements otherthan or in addition to the studs 862. For example, the coupling element820 can include a grid of recesses.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toy construction set comprising: a buildingelement comprising coupling studs arranged in a grid, the center of anyof the coupling studs being separated from the center of the neareststud by a center-to-center spacing; and a toy figure set comprising toyfigure building elements configured to repeatably connect and disconnectto each other to form at least a portion of a toy figure, the toy figurebuilding elements comprising at least two core toy figure buildingelements, each of the core toy figure building elements comprising atleast a first set of coupling elements separated relative to each otherby a distance that is an integer multiple of the center-to-centerspacing, wherein the coupling elements of the first set of couplingelements are configured to allow the core toy figure building elementsto repeatably connect and disconnect to other building elements, andeach of the core toy figure building elements comprises at least onecoupling element configured to allow a connected building element toarticulate in more than one plane.
 2. The toy construction set of claim1, wherein the toy figure is configured to be arranged in a human-likeform.
 3. The toy construction set of claim 1, wherein the at least onecoupling element configured to allow a connected building element toarticulate in more than one plane is one of the coupling elements in thefirst set of coupling elements.
 4. The toy construction set of claim 1,wherein the coupling elements of the first set of coupling elements onat least one of the core toy figure building elements are identical. 5.The toy construction set of claim 4, wherein the coupling elements ofthe first set of coupling elements on one of the core toy figurebuilding elements comprise identical balls, the centers of the ballsbeing separated by the center-to-center spacing, and the couplingelements of the first set of coupling elements on another one of thecore toy figure building elements comprise identical recesses, thecenters of the recesses being separated by the center-to-center spacing.6. The toy construction set of claim 5, wherein the core toy figurebuilding element that comprises the identical recesses further comprisesat least one ball.
 7. The toy construction set of claim 6, furthercomprising a second building element comprising a line of studs, eachstud being separated from the center of the closest stud by a secondcenter-to-center distance, different from the center-to-center distance,and wherein the center of the at least one ball of the core toy figurebuilding element that comprises the identical recesses is spaced from asurface of the core toy figure building element by an integer multipleof half of the second center-to-center distance.
 8. The toy constructionset of claim 1, wherein the core toy figure building elements comprise atorso building element and a pelvis building element, the first set ofcoupling elements of the torso building element comprising two recesses,the centers of the recess being separated by the center-to-centerspacing, and the first set of coupling elements of the pelvis buildingelement comprising two balls, the centers of the balls being separatedby the center-to-center spacing.
 9. The toy construction set of claim 8,further comprising at least two leg building elements, each of the legbuilding elements comprising a socket that connects to one of the ballsof the pelvis building element with a snap fit.
 10. The toy constructionset of claim 9, wherein, when one leg building element is connected toeach of the two balls of the pelvis building element, the connected legbuilding elements are capable of being positioned to form an angle of atleast 90 degrees in at least two different planes.
 11. The toyconstruction set of claim 9, wherein, when one leg building element isconnected to each of the two balls of the pelvis building element, theconnected leg building elements are capable of being positioned to forman angle of at least 180 degrees in at least two different planes. 12.The toy construction set of claim 9, further comprising a head buildingelement and arm building elements.
 13. A toy construction setcomprising: a toy figure set comprising a first toy figure buildingelement and a second toy figure building element, the first toy figurebuilding element and the second toy figure building element configuredto repeatably connect and disconnect to each other to form at a core toyassembly, each of the first and second toy figure building elementscomprising at least two coupling elements configured to connect the toyfigure building element to other building elements; and a connectionbuilding element configured to connect to one or more of the first toyfigure building element and the second toy figure building element, theconnection building element comprising: a first surface in a firstplane, the first surface comprising coupling studs arranged in a grid,the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from the centerof the nearest stud by a center-to-center spacing, a second surface in asecond plane different from the first plane, wherein, when theconnection building element is connected to the first toy figurebuilding element and the second toy figure building element, the centersof at least some of the coupling studs on the first surface are alignedwith the centers of the coupling elements of the first toy buildingelement and the coupling elements of the second toy building elements.14. The toy construction set of claim 13, wherein the centers of some ofthe coupling studs on the first surface of the connection buildingelement are aligned with the coupling elements on the first toy figurebuilding element, and the centers of all of the coupling studs on thefirst surface of the connection building element are aligned with thecoupling elements on the second toy figure building element.
 15. The toyconstruction set of claim 13, wherein a coupling stud on the firstsurface of the connection building element is aligned with a couplingelement on the first or second toy figure building element when thecenter of the coupling stud and the center of the coupling element forma line parallel or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the toybuilding element.
 16. The toy construction set of claim 13, wherein,when the connection building element is connected to the first toyfigure building element and the second toy figure building element, thecenters of the coupling elements on one of the first toy figure buildingelement or the second toy figure building element are spaced from thecoupling studs on the connection building element in a direction that isparallel to a longitudinal axis of the toy figure building element by aninteger multiple of the center-to-center distance.
 17. The toyconstruction set of claim 13, wherein the connection building elementfurther comprises a third surface in a third plane, the third planebeing different from the first plane and the second plane, and the thirdsurface defining an opening.
 18. The toy construction set of claim 16,wherein the second and third planes are parallel to each other, and thesecond plane is orthogonal to the first and third planes.
 19. The toyconstruction set of claim 18, wherein the first and third surfacesextend from the second surface, and the connection building element isrigid such that the first and third surfaces do not articulate relativeto the second surface.
 20. The toy construction set of claim 18, whereinthe connection building element further comprises a fourth surface in afourth plane, the fourth surface comprising coupling studs arranged in agrid, the center of any of the coupling studs being separated from thecenter of the nearest stud by the center-to-center spacing, and when theconnection building element is connected to the first and second toyfigure building elements, the centers of some of the coupling studs onthe fourth surface are aligned with the centers of the coupling elementsof the first toy building element and the coupling elements of thesecond toy building elements.
 21. The toy construction set of claim 19,wherein, when the connection building element is connected to the firsttoy figure building element and the second toy figure building element,the centers of the coupling elements on one of the first toy figurebuilding element or the second toy figure building element are spacedfrom the coupling studs on the first and fourth surfaces of theconnection building element in a direction that is parallel to alongitudinal axis of the toy figure building element by an integermultiple of the center-to-center distance.
 22. The toy construction setof claim 14, wherein the first toy figure building element comprises atorso building element, and the second toy figure building elementcomprises a pelvis building element.
 23. A hub building elementcomprising: a body defining a longitudinal axis and a recess, the recessbeing configured to receive and hold two different types of couplingelements, the two different types of coupling elements comprising asingle coupling stud of another hub building element that, whenconnected to the body element along the longitudinal axis forms aportion of a toy figure, and two coupling studs that form part of a gridon a surface of a separate building element, the coupling studs beingspaced with a center-to-center spacing; a coupling stud extending from asurface and along the longitudinal axis toy figure building element; anda plurality of coupling elements extending outward from the body, eachof the coupling elements being configured to allow rotation of aconnected building element in more than one plane, and each of thecoupling elements being spaced from the surface by a distance that ishalf of a center-to-center spacing of the coupling studs arranged in agrid pattern that are received in the recess.
 24. The hub buildingelement of claim 23, wherein the hub building element comprises a torsoof the toy figure, and the other hub building element comprises a pelvisof the toy figure.
 25. The hub building element of claim 23, wherein theplurality of coupling elements extend outward from the body in oppositedirections.